A Simple Method for Evaluation of Total Cellular Number in the Thymolymphatic Organs

Abstract

A simple method is described for estimation of total cellular number in the thymolymphatic organs of albino rats. The method employed is as follows: A small segment about 20mg of lymphoid organ is placed in 2ml of N/4 HCl solution for 2 to 3 hours; the tissues are then finely dispersed in the solution with fine needles and the suspension of nuclei obtained. From the suspension the samples are taken for hemocytometer count. From this count the numbers of nucleated cells per unit weight and in the whole of the lymphoid organ were estimated.
The total numder of nucleated cells is calculated to be (898±83.6)×10⁶ for the thymus, (718±63.7)×10⁶ for the mesenteric lymph node, and (958±63.7)×10⁶ for the spleen. These results fairly well agree with those obtained by MONDEN's (1955, 1959) DNA determination method.